Quick-Expanding Patio Fruits Excellent for Cultivation in Pots and Containers
Fast-growing fruits thrive in containers, making them perfect choices for patio gardeners. To help you make the most of your space, we've consulted horticulture experts for their top recommendations and care tips.
Laura Irish-Hanson, extension horticulture educator at the University of Minnesota Extension, and Brooke Edmunds, associate professor and horticulturist at Oregon State University, share their insights on easy-to-grow fruiting plants for container gardens.
Dwarf Bananas
Sweet and compact, dwarf bananas are an excellent choice for container gardening. To ensure successful growth, provide your plants with full sunlight, consistent humidity, and even temperature, and moisture.
- Zones: 9 to 10
- Mature size: 3 feet tall x 3 feet wide
- Care requirements: Full sun; well-drained soil; even moisture
Fig Trees
Perennials that keep their leaves year-round, fig trees make great houseplants and can even fruit in containers. Remember to bring your fig tree indoors as temperatures drop.
- Zones: 7 to 10
- Mature size: 10 feet tall x 10 feet wide
- Care requirements: Full sun; rich, well-drained soil; keep moist
Roselle
A beautiful addition to your container garden, roselle produces stunning flowers and tart, interesting fruits. Grow them for hibiscus tea, as they can fruit within a single growing season.
- Zones: 3 to 10
- Mature size: 3 to 9 feet tall x 2 to 6 feet wide
- Care requirements: Full sun; well-drained soil; do not overwater
Strawberries
Strawberries are ideal patio plants that will return year after year. Use a well-draining potting soil to prevent root rot, and consider growing day-neutral strawberries, such as Albion, Seascape, and Sweet Ann, for continuous fruit production.
- Zones: 5 to 9
- Mature size: 1 foot tall x 2 feet wide
- Care requirements: Full sun to part shade; well-drained soil; medium watering
For more information on pruning fig trees for an abundant harvest and growing strawberries in containers, it's worth checking out the experts' recommendations. Keep your container garden thriving by choosing the right plants and providing appropriate care based on each plant's unique needs. Happy gardening!
Martha Stewart's home-and-garden magazine recommends dwarf bananas, fig trees, roselle, and strawberries as ideal choices for a container garden due to their fast growth and adaptability. Dwarf bananas require full sunlight, consistent humidity, even temperature, and moisture, while fig trees can even fruit in containers with proper care.
Roselle is a beautiful addition to a container garden that produces stunning flowers and tart fruits for hibiscus tea. Strawberries thrive in pots, returning year after year, and day-neutral varieties like Albion, Seascape, and Sweet Ann are recommended for continuous fruit production.
Gardening experts advise checking out their recommendations for pruning fig trees and growing strawberries in containers to ensure a bountiful harvest and a thriving container garden.
